An Intriguing Story
by Aries The Ram
Summary: When Harry dies in the Forbidden Forest, he is told a story that is hard to believe, told by none other than the man he thought was supposed to be trying to kill him!


**An Intriguing Story**

You are looking at my first foray into the fanfiction world as an Author, I won't say it's amazing, but neither will I say it's terrible either, read and review to your heart's desire.

Summary! In a galaxy far, far…wait, no. Harry was under the assumption that Death was the best solution to defeating Tom was he? Well during the escapade into the nether world, Harry finds out that he hasn't actually been alone this entire time.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, I do not, I simply take pleasure in knowing that I can fiddle with the universe to my own heart's desire.

When dying, one usually tends to picture puffy white clouds, perhaps a golden gate, or even rarer some may just think they are going to end up in a fiery pit, however none of these things are what Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Chosen One, and now Chosen Martyr saw. What was in front of him now was a slightly blurry and surreal version of one of the few places Harry thought he would never have to go again, the Chamber of Secrets. In all of its vile, dark, dank and moldy glory the Chamber stood around Harry looking the exact same as it did all those years ago, even if it reminded Harry a bit of what things look like without his glasses.

As the seconds passed by, or what he assumed to be seconds, details became sharper, colors crisper and the feeling of vertigo was leaving him. However when all of these things finally happened, Harry noticed something very unusual, he wasn't alone. The figure beside him was a man that Harry truly was unprepared to see, the vision in front of him was none other than Tom Marvolo Riddle.

While this revelation seemed to make Harry a little panicky the Riddle in front of him looked around with an almost serene look on his face, a smile on his lips that bordered on smug. Granted this smile was a lot less sinister since Tom seemed to be human still, without the serpentine attributes that occurred during his rebirth. Harry could only assume that the Tom Riddle in front of him happened to be the soul fragment that resided inside himself. This thought equally elated and confused him, if this Tom was here, were they separated now or did this damnable place count as they're mindscape that Snape kept yammering about.

Thoughts along these lines would have kept swirling about Harry's head were it not for the clearing of a certain throat not two feet away from him. Tom looked at him with an eyebrow raised and his hand out, Harry was far too confused to do anything but blink and keep his mind from shutting down.

"Well? Are you going to shake the hand or are we going to stand like this forever?" Tom said, and Harry could have sworn he was amused. Tom eventually sighed and let the hand drop, folding both behind his back and standing in a stance that while not aggressive, still gave off an intimidating aura.

"I see I shall have to wait for your battle addled mind to begin functioning again." He chuckled, who was this man? Certainly not the same Tom Riddle that had been chasing Harry for the past seven years, this one seemed casual, aloof, something neither Tom Riddle that Harry had met before could even attempt to pull off.

Tom stared at Harry evenly, without blinking it seemed, until he came to a decision that Harry could not decipher.

"Well, if I have to start things off, fine then. I am Tom Riddle, and you are Harry Potter, I assume you know that much however. What you do not know is that I am not the same Tom Riddle that you know." This revelation further confused Harry, but his faculties were beginning to start again.

"If you are not the same Tom Riddle that I know, which Tom Riddle are you?" It seemed a fair question, if a bit silly in Harry' eyes.

"That is a question that leads to quite the lesson in magical theory, starting with the mechanics of a Horcrux." At this point in time Tom had started to pace, eerily enough in the same way Harry knew he did when he was teaching.

"The Horcrux is just a small little corner of an entire section of magic, which is generally called Soul Magic. Whether or not you've heard of such a thing is irrelevant, most neither want nor can learn it due to the volatile and fickle nature of the art. Thomas Riddle began his endeavors into the art wanting to be known forever, not necessarily wanting to live forever, but wanting to be known forever. To be honest _his_ goal was not to become a murderer, just a thirst for powerful knowledge. I stress the word _his _because I am no more that Tom Riddle anymore than I am Voldemort."

In a way reminiscent of the Room of Requirement, two chairs were conjured, and Harry found himself subconsciously sitting down facing the man he thought, no, he _knew_ he should hate. But he couldn't, this Riddle creepily reminded Harry of himself, when the younger Tom had said just as much, he had completely dismissed the thought seeing how evil the two he had already met had been, but now he could not be sure.

"Thomas sought to be powerful in his own right, not some shadow of accomplishments made by some other great person. The Horcrux to Thomas was a means to learn of a new sort of magic, one that seemed to not be known to the general public or perhaps known to no one until he himself could claim that knowledge. With this thought he manipulated Slughorn as you no doubt saw, into saying nearly nothing in the way of information, but enough to sate his thirst temporarily. Once the true definition of a Horcrux came to light however, Thomas was as repulsed by the idea just as you are. However he still needed to know more about it in order to gain any sort of understanding into the mechanics of Soul Magic as a whole. His search came up empty for the most part, and in those studies he gained the knowledge of the Chamber of Secrets. Learning of a Monster lurking beneath the castle was something for him to sink his teeth into, something to take his mind off of the search for Soul Magic."

"Discovery of the Basilisk was awe inspiring, and in some ways Thomas thought he had found an equal, the serpent was both intelligent and cunning but willing to be kind and respectful to him. In some ways it was more of a friend than any of the followers or what I look back on as minions he had ever had. However the large serpent had been hibernating for far too long, and needed to feed, Thomas was too naïve to wonder if there was another entrance so he took the monster up through the one he found himself. "

Tom had a very worn and forlorn look on his face, one that Harry could never remember witnessing on anyone but Dumbledore when he spoke of his mistakes. It was a look he knew well himself, regret.

"This is unfortunately the point at which the life of Thomas Riddle diverges, Myrtle Brown just happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time. She was killed instantly by the serpent, not knowing who had ridden the creature up the pipes from line of sight. One major thing that I am sure you do not know, and Thomas was too rushed to realize is that the Horcrux is not actually powered by cold blooded murder. That is simply a version of the truth propagated to make the general public less in favor of doing such a deed. Not to say that everyone should be making these objects, they are very dangerous themselves, people would just not be willing to learn that lesson any other way than by experience, so lies had to be told…" Tom here smiled a rueful grin, "For the greater good…"

Harry by now was far too interested in the story to do anything but stare, he had no idea how much time had passed by truly whether he ended up dying or not was worth knowing.

"Out of pure curiosity, and I might add temptation beyond what could be considered normal circumstance, Thomas attempted making a Horcrux. While he did not know if what had occurred counted as cold blooded murder or not, he was too young to be cautious enough not to test that particular theory. However out of pure luck he was not struck dead on the spot, he tore his soul asunder and put a piece into his Diary."

Tom paused, seeming to wait for Harry to ask something. Harry thought for a few moments before voicing one of his concerns, "I thought you said that Tom did not want to make Horcrux, that it was just a way of getting to more Soul Magic?"

Tom winced; knowing that the question was going to be asked and having it asked are two very different things. "I must admit that Thomas had very thin morals and the inhibitions of a blood crazed werewolf. The only solace I take in the acts of his, and to an extent, my past are that I am no longer that person. Neither in body, or by soul."

"How?" Harry asked, "How are you not that very same Tom Riddle?"

Tom sighed, not for the first time, but certainly in a way that left Harry a little concerned. This was a person defeated, not unlike himself, someone who has resigned what little hope there was of redemption.

"Because of the mechanics of a Horcrux, do not split a soul 50/50, they split it by association and pieces. The soul fragment that went into that Diary housed a cunning, and ambitious Thomas beyond all recognition, one that Thomas himself would not recognize. Leaving the Thomas still within a body to be a good deal less ambitious and his cunning took quite a blow as well. But also his egotistic and maniacal tendencies dwindled as a consequence. However in some ways I have witnessed souls regenerate, but they only do so with what they already have. Thomas or from that moment on Lord Voldemort, regained his cunning and his ambitions and his evil ways, learning to ignore his conscious or his morals, what little there were to be ignored.. And set off to collect artifacts while working for Burke. As through you I know that Dumbledore suspecting Voldemort of creating Horcruxes in a fast fashion as he collected the items, I am here to tell you that this theory is wrong. Voldemort had no intention of creating more Horcruxes until far later on in his life. In fact you could say that his obsession with becoming immortal did not begin until a few years before your birth. Voldemort did not come to Hogwarts to get back a Horcrux, he planned on creating one with the Diadem he knew was hidden-"

"Wait, then how did the Diadem become a Horcrux if he did not do so before he was banished?" Harry asked.

"I do not know, it was after my time. I can only assume that he did so while possessing Quirrel, since that seems to be the best guess."

Harry was finally sure that this story could not get crazier, and a question struck him.

"What do you mean, after your time?"

Tom smiled again, seeming to become jovial in a way that reminded Harry greatly of Dumbledore.

"We have now come to the point of this little story, I am the Horcrux inside you, as I know you figured out. But I am not connected in any way to Voldemort, I had no knowledge of what he did until you learned of it yourself. You see, I've been with you all this time."

A look of unadulterated horror was plastered on Harry's face; Tom Riddle laughed himself to the point of sobbing.

"You wound me Potter! Assuming that I had any control over you, I was and perhaps still am merely an observer. Stuck in your meatsack to watch you suffer, I was here when the Dursleys were at their worst, I was here when you got your letter and an old acquaintance of mine took you to the Wizarding World. I was here when you met your two friends, though I have to admit Weasley has not been the best influence on you. I was here when you discovered a crush on Hermione, but were too much on an idiot to say anything about it. As a man who had no friends to speak of I see no logic in the choice you made, if there is one thing you need to learn from this trip to the netherworld is that Mr Thomas was incorrect in the statement "Bros before Hoes." Love is one thing I was not allowed to experience for myself, but I know that it is more important than any sort of bond you may have with the overgrown Ginger. And really? You think that you love the little Weasley because of a monster in your chest? Grow a pair and read your potions manual that Severus so kindly wrote upon and read the definite feeling of a Love potion."

By this point Tom was red in the face and Harry had the "deer caught in headlights" look, it was not very endearing.

"But alas, I have gone off track, and time is so little. Suffice it to say I have been here, watching you, waiting for the moment that Albus has _so_ kindly _'prepared' _you for. For you needed to learn this story, so that perhaps Tom Riddle could have some semblance of dignity before death. The reason I am here and you are not being watched by an evil sociopath is, like all good things that have happened to you, due to your Mother."

" Your mother made a sacrifice that was not based on love like Albus said, but it was an act of love nonetheless. The blood protection cast by your Mother made you quite immune to any sort of evil thrown at you, and since Voldemort would not possibly think of killing someone with anything other than an Unforgivable or Dark curses, it was quite likely that he would have never succeeded in killing you had he lived. However instead of killing you he had quite the idea, why not make another Horcrux! The irony almost made him cry in glee, and with what little of the Prophesy that he knew, it made it even more ironic! So, little Harry was to be a Horcrux and taken over at some point, perhaps straight from birth. Voldemort would be content with having a little clone of himself running around causing all kinds of havoc on the world. However casting the spell for the Horcrux on you did quite the opposite, since no evil could worm its way into you, I came! What little of the good and decency that Lord Voldemort had was ripped from his soul and put away inside you. I am everything that was ever good, loving, kind, and gentle about the murdering hypocrite."

"In this act Voldemort became completely evil, seeing as while Souls do regenerate, as I said they only do so with what they already have. The evil and malicious side of Voldemort grew to supernatural proportions. Though I am happy to say that overall intelligence went to me, so here I stand…or am, a complete and whole soul made only out of the good that was once Tom Riddle."

An innumerable amount of minutes could have passed by during this pause, but neither of them was truly sure how long ago the story had ended, but Harry eventually asked one question that even Tom Riddle was not completely sure of.

"What now?"

Tom smiled again, he seemed to do that a lot and to be honest it wasn't quite as creepy as it had been during Dumbledore's memory.

"Since you 'died', one of us has to leave; I am inclined for that piece to be myself since I do not want to live through another life again. I will go on to wherever it is that I will go to and you will continue your life, without a Horcrux, and without an observer."

Tom smirked, "Although I do advise you to take a good look at your decisions over the years and perhaps correct a mistake you made concerning a certain female friend of yours. I can read people better than you and all is not as it seems."

Tom then said goodbye and left with a smirk on his face, leaving Harry to defeat a Dark Lord

The end.

Authors notes! While this is my first story, I'd like to think it is at least somewhat decent. I liked writing it at least. This idea was something that just came out of nowhere, and I liked it and went with it.

And to head off people who say that "The ending was too abrupt" I want to say, I know that, the story was Tom Riddle's, and to be honest I did not know what to do with it once that was done.

While I will not beg for reviews, I would like some to know if people would like me to continue (writing more stories) or just stay in the caves and read. Thanks for getting this far and have a good week!

And good lord re-editing chapters is a pain.


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